TRUTH BE TOLD
LOOKING FOR HOPE IN A TOPSY-TURVY WORLD
Children in a muddy refugee camp in Idlib, Syria. Image credit: AHMED AKACHA on Pexels.
By DR VICKI BISMILLA
As this new year takes hold many people have forgotten the personal resolutions they made and put their shoulders to the wheel of getting on with their work/life routines as best they can.
But many of us reflect on how world politics have become so dangerous, throwing innocent children and civilians into horrendous situations, threatening life and taking away homes and hope. Hatred has become the modus operandi of so many world leaders.
How can we as civilians become more understanding and considerate towards others in a world that is being torn by political hatred, greed and hostility? Continuous exposure to such terrible news can take a toll on one’s mental health, raising the crucial question: how can we stay informed without compromising our health – both physical and mental – and the wholeness of our well-being? It’s hard to know which news media to trust anymore as many mainstream media appear unwilling, unable or severely suppressed to tell the truth.
Furthermore, we are intelligent enough to know that the killing of tens of thousands of innocent children by colonizing nations and their complicit accomplice-nations never ever get addressed. We are seeing that now as indigenous and aboriginal populations struggle to get an apology and acknowledgment of the atrocities committed by state and church against their little children. And alarmingly, their quest for records of what happened to their children in residential schools is blocked by layers and layers of legislation and slippery freedom of information laws.
In the midst of the wars, genocides, political dissembling and slimy, treacherous politicians, our anger and anxieties, exacerbated by global tensions, rise to such levels as to affect our well being. We know that it is important to stay informed so how do we prioritize our mental health? Self care advice like “go for a walk” can seem trivial and trivializing in a world gone so wrong with such horrendous things happening.
It’s important for us to acknowledge how we are feeling and speak to someone we trust, whether that’s a friend, family member, faith leader, teacher or helpline. We need to know that we are not alone and there are people who care deeply. And we also know that we cannot condone hate speech to which people are driven when consumed by anger. No matter what is happening in the world, there is never an excuse for hate speech, religious discrimination or acts of racism.
Going back to good advice like gentle exercise and walking to relieve stress, once we are able to calm ourselves we should indeed give our bodies the exercise and fresh air that we need to maintain our health.
There are Walking Clubs in many communities and I read about one where the first rule is to leave something behind. Not a literal something but one of the pieces of mental baggage that many of us carry. Whether it’s something that happened that day or our anger at world crises, it is a good thing to leave those symbolically “on the ground” before we begin our walk.
Also, if possible, we can try to turn to other sources of news (like this magazine and other gentle ones like this) that tell us about millions of people around the world doing incredibly positive work and deeds.
Many gentle and incredibly gifted people are trying to turn the world away from violence and their voices may be drowned out by loud, powerful and dangerous people but we need to persevere to find those voices and support them. There are so many outstanding achievers like agricultural scientists, social justice documentary-makers, selfless educators working with children, doctors working to improve the health of indigenous and other marginalized communities, dedicated workers bringing fresh water to villagers plagued by pollution, altruistic lawyers providing free legal advice to victims, marine conservationists rescuing polluted seas to save marine life, researchers working tirelessly to find cures for debilitating diseases, doctors and researchers fighting pandemics, scientists and ordinary workers saving the world’s endangered animals, dedicated chefs feeding struggling people through food banks and community kitchens and these are all just a few of those profiled and acknowledged by Desi News. There are so many altruistic, smart, decent people doing important work to benefit this world of ours where we are fleeting guests.
Take award-winning quantum physicist and professor of physics at Wilfrid Laurier University, Shohini Ghose, who is bringing together the stories of remarkable women to celebrate their indelible scientific contributions. She won an award for best dissertation titled Quantum And Classical Dynamics Of Atoms In A Magnetooptical Lattice which delved into the quantum chaotic behaviour of atoms interacting with lasers and magnetic fields. Most of us cannot understand her work but reading about her and her incredible talent eases our brain and assures us that there are people in this world who are doing amazing work.
There is a website called Reasons to be Cheerful which has the specific goal of bringing us good news about wonderful projects around the world that are improving lives of communities.
Projects like improved irrigation, new ways of cultivating the land like terracing hillsides to plant food crops, seed banks to preserve food sources for future generations, reclaiming and making riverbeds healthy, midwives saving vulnerable newborns and helping mothers and so many news items that show us how people are sustaining their populations and working to sustain future generations.
These stories won’t take away our anger against powerful and ruthless countries committing horrendous atrocities against helpless, innocent children and civilians but they may give us rare moments of respite.
Dr Vicki Bismilla is a retired Superintendent of Schools and retired college Vice-President, Academic, and Chief Learning Officer. She has authored two books.